Furusato Travel: From Cities to Countryside

Since the goal of this blog is to cover all travels- small; local; large; far; touristy/known and off-beaten/unknown, here we are. Covering the famous Arashiyama Monkey Park. Our 14-year old had never been and I hadn't actually gone up the mountain since super early hours in March 2010 (it was cold, drizzle weather BUT we caught feeding time!). I didn't have a good comparison of what it was like now or a "normal visit" to the spot. Since it had been raining considerably all week, we went prepared with very light baggage, waters and hiking/water proof shoes. There are multiple warning for heat stroke prevention and the 20-30 minute steep walk to get to the top. Even though this is a tourist spot and beginner-friendly, it's also not to be taken lightly if you aren't used to uphill walking/hikes and the heat. On September 5th, especially in the mid-afternoon hours of 12PM, we were facing temps around 32C (89F). The beginning of the hike/entrance is a 15 minute wa...

Nestled in the Keihoku district of Kyoto City, one is surrounded by untouched nature and forested peaks. A backbone of the timber industry since the Heian period, the Kitayama cedar is renowned for its straight trunks, polished wood, and use in adorning sukiya -style tea rooms and temples. Along the Hosono River valley, hidden within the dense forest, one can find Takimata Falls, a 25-meter-high, three-tiered waterfall. It is said the falls were named by Oda Nobunaga's nephew, Jikkai Inga Koji, who fled to Hosono following the Azuchi religious debates during the late 16th century. It was here that he practiced takigyō —a spiritual meditation where the practitioner stands beneath the freezing torrent to chant and purify the mind—and bestowed the name Takimata.   I started my journey by car, leaving the Arashiyama area and heading north on Route 162. Within the half-hour, I found the free parking lot, easily identifiable by the large, beautiful dragon sculpture at its entrance. ...